Collapsible insulated refrigerator bag for carrying articles to be chilled



Nov. 13, 1951 G. A. SEIPP 2,575,191

COLLAPSIBLE INSULATED REFRIGERATOR BAG FOR CARRYING ARTICLES TO BE CHILLED Filed March 8, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR GEORGE A SEIPP wwwwm ATTORNEK? Nov. 13, 1951 cs. A. SE'IPP 2,575,191

COLLAPSIBLE INSULATED REFRIGERATOR BAG FOR CARRYING ARTICLES TO BE CHILLED Filed March 8, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 lNVENTOR SEIPP BVGEO RGE A.

A T TORNEVS Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES rAiTeNT OFFICE COLLAPSIBL-E INSULATED REFRIGERATOR BAG FOR CARRYING ARTICLES .TO BE CHILLED George A.-Seipp, Minneapolis, Minn.

ApplicatlonfMareh. 8, 1948, Serial No. 13,571

.4'LClaims.

- l j This invention relates to-portable refrigerators and more particularly to a flexible or'collapsi-ble laag-like refrigerator which is adapted to preserve =or keep cold, articles of food and the like with the aid of ice ora similar refrigerant placed in the structure with the articles to be cooled.

it is an object of the invention to provide a flexible portab e refri erator which is made in such a way that products can be placed in it along with ordinary ice and-wherein'the water resulting from the melting of the iceis kept from the material insulating the walls of the refrigerator and the ater furthermore can be readily emptied therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable refrigerator including an insulated b'ag -like shell and a removable refrigerating and storage chamber, which, by reason of its removability, greatly facilitates its cleaning.

A "furtherobjectof the invention is to provide improved means for insulating the outer baglike shell.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a structure wherein the insulation and the inner liner can be readily removed and wherein they are advantageously removably secured in the outer shell.

Still another ob ect of the invent on is to' rovide a water-pouring spout in combination with "the refrigerator which can be placed in Jan :in-

operative position within the shell where it 'will take up little storage space'an'd where it can be swung .to an operative position extending from the mouth of the shell and wherein suitable closure means for the mouth is so arranged that "pouring .of water from the shell can be accomplished while retaining pieces of ice and other articles against "falling from the refrigerator through the mouth of said shell.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more iully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer tothe same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof an embodiment of the invention showing the .mouth portion nearly completely open.

. 1Figure'2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the device Figure 3 is a perspective view of the insulating .unit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sect onal pers ective view of a form of "the heat insulat ng unit;

Figure 5 is a similar view of a modified form of heat insulating unit;

I Figure i6 is a perspective view :of the liner unit; --iFigure ;'7 is a iragmentary detail of the liner with the pouring spout in its operative position;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view show- 'of a waterproof plastic.

2 Zing the .manner of securing the pouring spout in position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertica. sectional view taken parallel to the sides of the embodiment shown in Fig. .1 and through the upper right hand corner thereof.

Figure 101s a top view of the liner and a smaller storage receptacle held therein.

The device includes an .outer shell H which preferably is formed from a waterproof plastic material. It has a closed bottom and an .open .upper portion or month which can be closed by a slide fastener unitgenerally indicated at 12. A pair ofhandle straps l3 are sewn or otherwise suitably secured to the shell ll asc'learly show in Figures 1 and 2.

Removably received within the shell II is .an insulating member indicated generally at M. In Figures 2 and 4 it is shown to be a panel -I-5 of a fibrous heat insulating substance which is enclosed in a, flexible flattened tube l6, preferably As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the liner member I4 is folded upon itself so that its two ends lie just within the upper mouth portion of the shell I I. Across each and edge [-1 of the plastic insulation cover It is a series of apertures l8.

Inside of or between the folds of the insulating member 14 is a liner bag [9 which is preferably formed of a flexiblewaterproof plastic. Itsupper edge defines an open mouth as shown best in Figures 2 and 6. Said upper edge is bent outwardly and upon itself and over a relatively stifi' yetsomewhat flexible plastic strip 20. Extending through this turned over edge of the liner l9 andthrough the strip 20 is a male snap fastener element 2| which is .so constructed "that it will clamp the upperedge of the liner [9 and the strip 211 firmly together.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8 there is shown a pouring spout .-22 of a .flexible plastic material. This spout or flap extends down the outside of the strip .23 :and thence upwardly along the inner side of said strip and between the strip and the liner 19. It is 'apertured as shown in Figure 8 so that the separable fastener element 2| will extend through it. The flap can be swung from the dotted line to the full line position of Figure 8 which-corres ond respectively to the Positions ofthe spout 2:2 in Figures .6 :and E7.

The outer shell I! is provided along either upper edge portion adjacent the open mouth thereof with inwardly facing female separable fastener elements 23. The fastener elements 2| on the liner are adapted to snap onto the elements 52.3 at opposite sides of the bag so that the removable insulating member 14 and the liner l9 can be readily removed from the outer shell I I when desired. This permits all parts of the article to be readily cleaned.

In Figure 9 there is shown a detail of an upper portion of the structure (the insulating member not being shown for purposes of clarity). Across adjacent portions of the outer shell I I is a small rivet 24. As shown in Figure 9, this rivet overlies a portion of the upper edge of the liner l9 to assist the snap fasteners in holding the liner in position within the shell. Furthermore, when the insulating member 14 and the liner are inserted in the shell, the rivet 24 serves as a positioning means which will hold the liner and insulator in approximately the position they should be in when the snap fasteners are connected. In Figure 5 there is shown a modified arrangement of the insulating member [4. The ends 25 of the tubular plastic covering l6 are heat sealed for a substantial width so that the openings l8 will not permit moisture to enter the covering l6 and thereby dampen the insulating fiber I 5.

In Figures 2 and the inner bag or liner I9 is shown with a smaller storage bag 26 therein. This is secured adjacent the upper portion of the open topped liner l9 by means of snap fasteners 2'! the elements of which are secured respectively to the smaller bag 26 and opposed portions of the liner l9, as is obvious from Fig. 10 and the smaller bag can itself be closed by a snap or separable fastener 28.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a readily portable refrigerator which is flexible to a fiat compact position when not in use and which is readily adaptable forfstoring and cooling foods and packaged drinks, the foods being placed in the liner l9 along with pieces of ice or the foods alone can be placed in the liner l9 and the ice placed in the smaller inner bag 28 or vice versa. The slide fastener on the outer shell H effectively closes the structure so that leakage of heat thereinto is effectively prevented. When articles are placed in the device it will cause the side wall to bulge or round out and the vertical edges of the insulating member M will abut, thereby making securing of these adjacent edges unnecessary. When ice in the container or liner is has melted, the outer shell can be opened and the spout 22 swung outwardly to the position of Figure 7. In this position the spout extends through the mouth of the shell II. The slide fastener 12 can then be partially closed until it reaches the edge of the spout 22. Thereupon water can be poured outwardly through the spout while at the same time the shell mouth opening is so restricted that articles within the liner will not fall out of the refrigerator.

If the insulating fiber I5 is of an absorbent material it is efiiciently protected by its covering l6, and the accumulation of moisture between the outer'wall of the liner I9 and the inner wall of the shell I I is prevented by reason of the waterproof character of said liner l9.

The device is light in weight yet is sufficiently insulated so that articles can be kept cold for aconsiderable period of time. The refrigerator is not nearly so bulky as a cabinet type portable box and it has less inherent weight than a cabinet type construction. When it is not in use it can be stored conveniently in a very small space.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

0 Number ing a bag-like shell having a water proof inner storage compartment, said shell having a mouth, a slide fastener adapted to close said mouth, a flap connected with said shell adjacent its mouth and foldable from a position within said shell to a position extending outwardly of said mouth, said flap extending along only a portion of the edge of said mouth, and said slide fastener, when said flap is extended outwardly of said mouth, being shiftable to close that portion of said mouth not occupied by said outwardly extending flap.

2.A flexible heat insulated container having in combination an outer bag shell, a sealed waterproof envelope removably connected at its end portions with said outer shell, a sheet of heat insulating material completely encased by said envelope, and a removable liner disposed at the inner side of said envelope but separable therefrom, said liner having attaching means adjacent its top portion for connecting the same with the top portion of said shell, the opposing side walls of the liner extending along the inner side walls of said envelope in contiguous planes therewith, and said liner being open across a ma or part of its top portion to permit large pieces of ice and food products to be inserted within its interior.

3. A collapsible heat insulated bag adapted to contain articles of food, said bag having a flexible outer shell open at its upper end and provided with means for closing the same, a flexible heat insulating material at the inner side of the outer shell, and a water-proof flexible liner within the outer shell at the inner side of said heat insuaating material, the liner corresponding in shape substantially to the general shape of the outer shell of the bag and being open at its upper end, and said liner being connected at its upper marginal portion with the upper marginal portion of the outer shell at the inner side thereof and having opposed side walls normally lying in contiguous planes with each other and with the side walls of the outer shell when the bag is not in use, the bag being foldable into small compass.

4. A collapsible heat insulated bag of the construction defined in claim 3 and in which the flexible heat insulating material is connected at the upper marginal part thereof with the upper marginal portion of the outer shell.

GEORGE A. SETPP.

nnrannuoss CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 'Country Date 7 France May 25, 1914 Germany July 3, 1928 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1929 Number 

